It's Tough Being a Sebacean LookAlike
by invisiblescaper
Summary: Finally thought of a title! A summary won't do the story justice, but here's one anyway: Aeryn's sick, so Zhaan, John, and D'Argo go down to a planet that doesn't take too kindly to Sebaceans, I might add to find a missing ingredient for Zhaan's cure.
1. Default Chapter

Title: It's Tough Being a Sebacean Look-Alike 

Author: Tragos the Goat Queen (a.k.a. invisblescaper)

Email: sunshine917_32@yahoo.com

Summary: A summary won't do the story justice, but here's one anyway: Aeryn's sick, so Zhaan, John, and D'Argo go down to a planet (that doesn't take too kindly to Sebaceans, I might add) to find a missing ingredient for Zhaan's cure. 

Spoilers: This isn't up-to-date. Yes, I began writing it during season 3's break, but it's got Zhaan in it and when I write stories, I take elements I like from anyplace in the series history and I mix them all around in a big pot and then see what comes out. It's more fun to do that way. So I guess it could be considered AU, if you're really that stingy (j/k). As for actual spoilers, I mention the Chair in passing. Obviously, if you don't know what chair I'm talking about, you haven't seen the episode. And the premiere. There is a place I here that I could have plausibly used A LOT of spoilers, but I refrained from doing so in case you hadn't seen that episode. Yes, I know, I'm such a sweet person.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, but if I did, I wouldn't kill them off so frequently. What am I talking about, sure I would! My only stipulation is that they come back.

**********************

"How's she doin'?" Commander John Crichton demanded as he entered Zhaan's lab.

"I'm fine, Crichton," Aeryn answered nasally. "It's just a touch of the Styrinthian Flu; nothing to get excited about." She sneezed. Zhaan's head perked up at the sound. She stepped away from the table where John could see that she was concocting something and confronted the officer.

"Did you take the tablets?" she asked with an accusing tone.

"Of course I didn't take your frelling tablets," Aeryn growled. "I am a fully trained Peacekeeper officer. I do not need your *sneeze* tablets."

"Tough customer, eh, Doc?" John asked with a grin. Aeryn glared at him.

"You should've been the one that got sick," Aeryn grumbled just barely loud enough to hear.

John tried, unsuccessfully, to hide a smirk. Zhaan smiled a knowing smile at him and then turned back to her patient. Her demeanor changed and she became the doctor once again. "Take the tablets, Aeryn Sun, or I'll make sure that your only visitor is Rygel."

Aeryn cringed and reluctantly took the tablets, all the while glaring at Zhaan. "You know they won't do anything. Never in my life have I met a tablet that would stop a sneezing Sebacean."

"I'm sure they'll have the desired effect," Zhaan stated simply as Aeryn yawned.

Her "And just what is that supposed to mean?" was cut short when her eyes rolled up and she fell back on the bed, asleep.

"Just as I thought," Zhaan said as she got back to her mixture.

"What was in those tablets?" John asked while wearing a crooked grin.

"A sedative. She was driving me crazy, John. I never want to care for a 'fully trained Peacekeeper officer' again."

John stifled a giggle as he made his way over to where she was. "Wassat?" he asked with a quizzical look on his handsome features.

"It's something I _hope_ will work on Sebacean physiology. If it does, it's a sure way to relieve the symptoms of Styrinthian Flu."

"'Hope'?" John asked. "Just what'll happen if it _doesn't _work?"

"Don't worry, John, nothing serious. She might develop a rash accompanied by some nausea, but that's as fatal as it gets." She moved away from the mix again, clearly looking for something. John peered into the beaker, eyeing the brown/grey liquid. Some of the smell wafted up to his nose. His hands flew up to cover his mouth and nose as he turned away.

"Ugh! That is rank!"

"John!" Zhaan whispered sharply as her eyes snapped up at him, interrupting her search. "Keep your voice down; I don't want her waking up! It was hard enough getting her to take the tablets in the first place. How will I get her to take them again now that she knows what they do?"

"Oh, sorry, Blue," John said quietly. "Just what is in that stuff? Yech."

Zhaan laughed voicelessly. "John, if I told you, you would stare at me blankly and then say something from your planet that my microbes wouldn't have a chance of translating."

"You know me too well," he said with a cock of his head.

Zhaan shook her head with a slight smile and went back to her quest. Right before John was ready to leave the room, he heard Zhaan's disgusted cry. "Where the frell is it?!"

"Whatcha lookin' for?"

"Vulkdralgon serum." She regretted it as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Sure enough, he did what she had expected.

After a blank gaze had held her eyes for a few microts, he said, "Volkswagen serum?"

She threw up her hands and said a silent prayer to her Goddess that she could get through today with an extremely grumpy patient and a barely understandable alien. As D'Argo stormed in complaining about Rygel, she added an irritable crewmate and a greedy ex-dominar to the list. To Crichton, she said, "I just need it to finish the compound. Don't bother yourself with where it is or what it does. Just know that's it's hard to find and leave it at that." Turning to D'Argo, she asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

"I found Rygel rummaging through your things again. I would have taken care of it myself, but I remembered what happened last time."

"I was none too pleased with that," she said, remembering when D'Argo had tried to "take care of it himself" and managed to destroy a chest full of hard-to-find oils and herbs.

Rygel floated in then, immediately saying, "Whatever he's saying about me, it isn't true."

"Of course it is, Frog Face!" Chiana said upon entering the lab. She may have not known what anyone was talking about, but she knew that look on Rygel's face, not to mention the fact that she knew Rygel.

D'Argo and Rygel then got into a shouting match. Chiana watched gleefully (she loved this stuff). Zhaan simply tried to quiet them while glancing at Aeryn every now and then. Then she saw Aeryn stir and uncertainly sit up.

"What happened?" she asked with a confused expression. "Zhaan!" she exclaimed, her memory returning in a wave. "What was in those tablets that you gave me?!"

Zhaan grimaced. "Well, Aeryn . . . "

Zhaan's explanation was lost to John as he left the lab, laughing all the way.

**********************

John was on Command with D'Argo and Chiana. It had been about half an arn since the commotion tapered out in Zhaan's lab. Since then, Aeryn refused to take any more of Zhaan's tablets even when told they were different. She just sulked in the lab. Zhaan had found that she couldn't find the Vulkdralgon serum, but Pilot had informed her that Moya had found a planet on which there was a magician/medicine man that had a reputation for possessing substances that you would not normally find in a regular market. So that's where they were now, orbiting around this planet.

"I don't think we should let her go down alone," John spoke up.

"Agreed," D'Argo said.

"Can I go?" Chiana asked hopefully.

John and D'Argo exchanged looks. "No," they chorused.

"I never get to go. Why don't you ever let me go?"

"Because you always get us in trouble, Pip," John supplied.

"I've heard of this planet, Gondilea. There is really good shopping to be done there."

"All the more reason. This is not shore leave. You're staying here."

Chiana mumbled something inaudibly as D'Argo said, "If we are going with her, we'd better get to the transport. She's about to leave."

"Right. Chi, you stay here and guard . . . everything from Rygel's grubby little hands. We'll be back before you can say 'Volkswagen serum'."

"Volkswagen serum," she said, carefully wrapping her mouth around the unfamiliar word.

"It's a fig-- Oh, forget it," he said, dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand. "Well, we're off to see the wizard."

D'Argo gave him a curious look, but shrugged it away. He pulled the astronaut out of Command and then D'Argo and John disappeared around the corner. After a few microts, Chiana exited, following without them knowing in that way that's uniquely Chiana's.

**********************

"Yes, D'Argo and Crichton?" Zhaan asked tiredly as they entered the bay.

"We are coming with you," D'Argo said gruffly.

"Why is that?"

"Lemme think," John said sarcastically, "you're a lone Delvian female walking around a marketplace totally lost looking for some witch doctor who's got some serum that you need to fix your sick friend."

"I assure you that I can take care of myself, Crichton," Zhaan said plainly.

"Oh, I know that, and D'Argo knows that, but those people down there don't know that."

Zhaan sighed. She knew she was loosing this argument. "Very well," she said, succumbing to their request. "You are welcome to join me on the planet."

A look of triumph was plastered on John and D'Argo's faces as they followed Zhaan into the transport. She started it up, and they were on their way.

**********************

Chiana moved toward the door of the transport as D'Argo and John were preoccupied with Zhaan. She heard Zhaan say, "I can assure you that I can take care of myself, Crichton," as she found a good hiding place behind a console toward the back.

_'They're not telling Chiana what to do,' _ she thought. _'This girl is doing what she wants to , just like always. Let's see them just _try_ to stop me.' _She chuckled quietly to herself as she heard the three aliens get on and the transport start up. _'This was easier than I thought.'_

**********************

"Pilot," Aeryn called after trying to get Rygel out of Zhaan's lab and away from her (and Zhaan's things, I might add). "Where is Chiana?"

_"Chiana is not aboard," _ Pilot said. _"She has gone down to the planet with D'Argo, Crichton, and Zhaan."_

"She went down to the planet?" Aeryn asked. "Rygel, stop that!"

Rygel chuckled and floated to the other side of the table.

_"Affirmative. Whatever you need her for, I'm sure a DRD would be happy to assist you." _One of the DRDs next to Aeryn's bed squeaked in confirmation.

Aeryn smiled at the little robot. "I appreciate it, Pilot, but DRDs don't have arms. They can't pick Rygel up and throw him out!" she said sharply in Rygel's direction.

"Oh, Aeryn," he said as he feigned a hurt expression, "don't you enjoy my company?"

"As much as always," she said flatly. As long as Zhaan had her bedridden, she couldn't do anything about him. "Frell it!" Aeryn said as Rygel dropped a jar, shattering it and spilling the yellow contents onto the floor. She stood up, a little wobbly at first, but she got over it when she grabbed the Hynerian. "I know I told you to GET OUT!" She threw him out of the room. His body was quickly followed by his ThroneSled which landed beside him. He waddled over to it and climbed in it.

"Grumpy, isn't she?" he asked a DRD that was rolling down the corridor. It chirped, but kept moving. Rygel sighed. "This is not the life of a dominar."

**********************

"Come on, D'Argo, it doesn't smell all that bad," John said as they walked through the miscellaneous stands that made up the market.

"Maybe not to you, Human, but I am a Luxan. It smells terrible."

"Sweet D'Argo, you must see past it," Zhaan said.

"Be assured that seeing is not the problem."

"We only need to be down here for a little while, Big Guy," John said, "just long enough to find what we're looking for. Then we'll skedaddle."

"Then I look forward to the time when we will 'skedaddle'."

Unbeknownst to them, a certain Nebari girl that we all know and love climbed cautiously out of the transport. Chiana was absolutely giddy at the prospect of successfully stowing away, not that she had any doubt in her mind that she would. She was very thirsty, and she promptly "borrowed" a cup of raslak. She was examining the booths around her, quickly finding out that this planet was all that they said it was, when a man stepped up beside her.

"Hello," greeted a deep voice.

"Hi, there," Chiana answered.

He got closer to her, clearly sensing a green light. "Where'd you get that raslak?"

"There's a booth over there," she purred, not disliking his advances. She gestured with the raslak.

"Really?" he asked sensually. "You know that's pretty expensive over there,"

"It wasn't a problem," Chiana said in a hinting tone.

"Oh, I see." He moved behind her. Then a sharp whistle pierced the air. "She's the one," the man told the guards that came running.

"What's going on?!" Chiana demanded, dropping the lifted raslak.

"Stealing is absolutely forbidden on Gondilea," the main guard informed her as he put restraints on her wrists.

"You have no proof that I stole that!" Chiana decided to play along with their little game. _'It's not like I can't always just escape later,' _ she thought, _'and it'll be so much funnier when I escape from the holding facility.' _ She pretended to struggle for a microt, but then gave up and let them carry her off.

Across the market, John noticed how people were staring at them.

"Uhh, D'Argo? Do you notice anything . . . odd?"

D'Argo agreed. "It seems we're quite popular."

"They almost look . . . scared."

"'Nervous' is a more accurate description," Zhaan corrected. "Look over there," she said pointing. "That appears to be the business I'm looking for."

"Okay, Zhaan, we'll wait out here for you."

As soon as Zhaan was gone, a native behind them shouted, "Oy! Sabacean!"

"That'd be me," John said to D'Argo, and twirled around to face a crowd of angry locals that seemed to have been following them. "Yeah?"

"We don't like Peacekeepers around here," he said menacingly.

D'Argo reflexively pulled out his Qualta blade and moved behind John, obviously willing to fight for him if need be. It was in vain, however, when someone behind him hit him in the base of the skull. He went down. John looked back, worried.

"D'Argo?" D'Argo was obviously unconscious, and John's call didn't elicit any response.

"You're coming with us, Peacekeeper," the man said, nodding to the people behind him. They grabbed him and slipped some restraints on his wrists. "Sabaceans are warned about coming here, but for some reason, a few of you will stumble on to Gondilea. You will be dealt with."

"What about my friends, the Luxan and the Delvian?" John asked.

"Your _prisoners _will be set free. I'm sure your superiors will be angry about that. That is, if you ever see them again."

The last thing John remembered was a hard pressure against the base of his skull and a loud "Whoomph!" before everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2 (how original!)

"What about my friends, the Luxan and the Delvian?" John asked.

"Your _prisoners _will be set free. I'm sure your superiors will be angry about that. That is, if you ever see them again."

The last thing John remembered was a hard pressure against the base of his skull and a loud "Whoomph!" before everything went black.

**********************

Zhaan stepped out of the medicine man's shop clutching the valuable Vulkdralgon serum. She was greeted by the sight of an unconscious D'Argo lying prone on the ground, Crichton nowhere to be seen, and a crowd dispersing. To her right, a group of guards were dragging someone off. Her mind put two and two together. She rushed over to D'Argo.

"D'Argo, get up." She was rewarded by a groan indicating that he was coming to. "Why are they taking John?"

D'Argo swayed as he stood up, but he soon got his equilibrium in order. "From what I heard, they don't like Sebaceans."

"Perfectly understandable," Zhaan said with a nod, "but we must make them understand that he is not Sebacean and there is no reason to hold him."

A guard stepped up to them, interrupting the conversation. "We have taken the Peacekeeper into custody. You are no longer his prisoners." He nodded curtly and attempted to walk away, but D'Argo grabbed his arm to keep him there as Zhaan stepped closer to him.

"What are you planning to do with him?" Zhaan asked, her eyes blazing like blue flame.

The guard ripped his arm away from D'Argo's grasp. "I don't know why you're so protective of this Peacekeeper. Obviously, he used some kind of mind device on you to make you loyal to him. Do not worry, soon you will come around. As for your dear Sebacean, he will be given the same treatment that we give all Sebaceans." The guard scurried away to keep out of D'Argo's hands.

"That sounds ominous," Zhaan said.

"Inform Pilot of the situation. I will find out where they're keeping Crichton and free him if possible." D'Argo walked of in the direction of the guard.

"Pilot," Zhaan called through the comms, "it seems that we've run into a bit of a problem."

_"Yes, Pa'u Zhaan?"_

"Inform Rygel and Chiana that John has been taken prisoner on this planet. Do not worry Aeryn with it. She'll insist on coming down, and she's in no condition to do so."

_"But, Zhaan, Chiana is not aboard. Moya says that she went down to the planet with you."_

"She did _what?!" _ She looked around for Chiana, but couldn't see her anywhere. "Then we have a bigger problem," she sighed.

**********************

John woke up with a feeling in his mouth like he had swallowed two pounds of sand and his head was reeling. He opened his eyes, but not being able to focus on anything caused his headache to worsen. After a few moments, he opened his eyes again and found himself in a cell of some kind with a thick metal door. In the upper part of the door, there was a little slot that appeared to be able to open. The cell was fairly dark, but there was enough light to see the dry stone walls. The door slot slid open and unwelcome light escaped from the outer hallway into John's eyes.

"Wha'appened?" he croaked through the painful dryness in his mouth and throat. "Where the hell am I? Who are you people?"

"A Sebacean asking questions. That's new," a voice from outside teased. "Isn't it the Peacekeeper way to destroy first and bother the remaining rubble and corpses for questions later?" There was definite malice in his voice as he spat the words at John. A pair of violet appeared through the slot.

"I'm not a Peacekeeper," John insisted, standing up. The alien cocked his head.

"In all my years of working in this section, I have never heard a Peacekeeper deny his backgrounds. Especially when he's so obviously lying." He looked pointedly towards John's clothing.

"These aren't mine," John quickly defended. "They were left on the Leviathan, my ship."

"Excuses, excuses, and bad ones at that," he said with a roll of his eyes. "We do not tolerate Sebaceans on Gondilea. It's a law, meant to be respected as all laws. You must pay the penalty."

"That wouldn't be a fine, would it?"

The eyes seemed to delight at John's question. "No, no. You must undergo the full punishment." The slot slammed shut.

"I'm not a Sebacean!" John yelled after the violet eyed native. John paced for a little while, but eventually sat down in the middle of the cold floor and waited for his "punishment" to begin.

**********************

After making sure that Aeryn was well asleep, Rygel floated toward the door panel. He liked having most of the ship to himself except for the DRDs, but he didn't have all of the ship. There was Aeryn's room and all the rooms adjacent to the corridor it attached to. Aeryn had moved to her own room, tired of being in Zhaan's lab. As long as Aeryn was in hearing range, he didn't dare to anything to attract attention to himself. But soon, that would not be a problem. There was nothing of interest in Aeryn's room anyway. Which is why he closed and locked the door.

He chuckled as the sound arose Aeryn. She looked at what was going on and struggled to get up when she found out. When she had reached the door, though, it had already closed.

"Rygel! You open this door!" she shouted.

"I think not, Aeryn. After all the times your kind has locked me up, I think it's a fair turn of events." He floated away hearing Aeryn angrily yell his name repeatedly.

"Pilot," Aeryn called, finally giving up on Rygel.

_"Are you in need of assistance, Aeryn?"_

"Yes, I am. Please let some of the DRDs teach Rygel a lesson."

__

"Do you want me to let you out?"

"No. Let Rygel think he's getting away with something."

_"Understood." _The comms were silent.

Aeryn climbed back in her bed. _'Now let's hope Zhaan gets back with the Vulkdralgon serum soon. I feel like old dren sitting in a mud hole,' _she thought as sleep claimed her.

**********************

"This is where we part, Nebari," the guard said. He stopped in front of a cell with people already inside. Chiana was shoved inside. The guard closed and secured the door. She turned quickly and gave the guard a seductive look, but he shot her a sarcastic smile and walked away.

"I don't understand it," she said, turning to face her cellmates. "I thought the Gondilots were very sexual creatures."

"We are," one of the Gondilot prisoners said, "but not the guards. They're all eunuchs to make sure that what you just tried doesn't happen."

"Where is this?"

"You're in the section of the prison that was made especially for shoplifters."

"Is shoplifting that big of a crime here?" she asked.

"Of course it is. Most of our cities are nothing but open markets. Stealing is a major, and all too common, offense. You're in here for a while."

"I was actually thinking of playing their game for a little while before I escaped."

"Escaped?" The prisoner choked on the word. "You can't seriously think you can escape."

"Of course I can," she answered. "I'm a Nebari."

**********************

The first thing Zhaan heard as she came back onto _Moya _was a horrific scream that resounded throughout the ship. "Rygel?" she called. The screams continued. "Rygel?!" She ran in the direction that the screams were originating from. She found the source huddled in a corner, his ThroneSled off to one side, and five DRDs descending on him. Rygel caught sight of her.

"Zhaan, help me. I'll let her out, just please make these things go away."

"'Let her out'? What are you talking about, Rygel?"

_"He locked Aeryn in her room," _Pilot answered.

"Just what is Aeryn doing in her room?" Zhaan asked, just a wee bit perturbed that Aeryn disobeyed her orders. "I told her to stay in bed. In my lab. She can't go wandering all over the ship whenever she feels like it. And why is everyone being locked up? Crichton, I assume Chiana because that's what usually happens with her, and Aeryn. Goddess knows who'll be next."

"Crichton?" Rygel asked quizzically.

"Didn't you tell him, Pilot?" Zhaan asked.

_"No time."_

"The people down there are opposed to Sebaceans on their planet," Zhaan explained.

"Oh, well. More food for me," Rygel said.

Zhaan glared at him for a microt, then picked up his ThroneSled and leaned down to the DRDs. "Carry on."

"I take it back!" Rygel shouted. "More food for us! US!"

Zhaan shook her head and walked away. She heard the DRDs firing and Rygel screaming some more. She turned around to see blast marks all around Rygel and one slightly singed earbrow. Rygel was breathing hard. "Have you learned your lesson, Your Eminence?"

"Yes," he panted, "don't anger the DRDs."

Zhaan put the ThroneSled down and walked off to free Aeryn and finish the cure for Aeryn's illness. She heard a faint, "I won't forget this, Delvian!" behind her. "No, I'm sure you won't," she said to herself with a smile.

**********************

The eye slot to John's cell slid open. "I have informed the council of your claims. Some of the members have elected to interview you."

"Really?" John asked, his blue eyes lighting up with hope.

"Yes. Come," the violet eyed man ordered as the door opened. John stood up and habitually brushed his pants flat before joining the man in the corridor. He was surrounded by guards and quickly restrained.

"My own personal guard?" he asked sarcastically as they started walking. "I don't want you to go to any extra trouble for me."

"Silence, Peacekeeper!" a guard spat.

"I am n--"

"Yes, we know!"

"We all know," another guard chimed in.

"That's enough!" Violet Eyes said. "The council will be waiting. Your future resides on the decision made in this room," he told John. "Make a good case, or I will be sure to make your punishment extra special. I will not be made a fool of in front of my council. They might overthrow me."

John was going to ask about the last statement, which was barely audible as he mumbled it to himself almost like an afterthought. He decided against it, though. He had more important things on his mind.

**********************

D'Argo found the holding facility and was greeted by an excitable little alien that guarded the front gate.

"Where do you keep your Sebaceans?" D'Argo demanded an answer from the furry creature.

"Sebacean? Sebacean?" it asked energetically. "Sebacean bad. Mulkin no see Sebaceans. No come. Never come."

"I know there's at least one somewhere in there! Now where do you keep your Sebaceans?!" D'Argo asked louder and angrier.

"No Sebaceans here, no. Sebaceans come in, no come out. Mulkin never see Sebacean come out."

"But did you see one go in?!"

"Mulkin . . . Mulkin saw one. One came in, no come out."

"What is done with them?"

"Go in, Sebaceans, Mulkin no see again. Never see again. Mulkin wonder, but no tell Mulkin. No tell Mulkin."

"Can I get in there?"

"Mulkin cannot let. No, no. Look for Sebacean. Sebacean boom home. Sebacean bad. You free Sebacean. Boom home again. Boom Mulkin home."

D'Argo could hear sadness in his crude voice when he spoke the last phrase. It wasn't important to him. He knew John was in there, and he just had to get past this thing to get to him. "You _will _excuse me. I'm going inside now."

"Mulkin cannot let!"

D'Argo snarled as Mulkin got in his way. He went to shove it aside when it grabbed him with surprising strength and threw him back.

"Mulkin cannot let! Mulkin cannot let!" it screeched. All the noise attracted a crowd. D'Argo knew he couldn't get in will all these people around, so he reluctantly turned and left. He called Zhaan on his comms.

"Zhaan, I know where John is being held. I need to try and get in another way. I'll need your help and if possible, Aeryn's. Just disguise her. We don't need two of them to save."

_"Understood, D'Argo," _Zhaan said. _"I will be right down as soon as I treat Aeryn."_

"I'll be here."


	3. Chapter 3

"Zhaan, I know where John is being held. I need to try and get in another way. I'll need your help and if possible, Aeryn's. Just disguise her. We don't need two of them to save."

_"Understood, D'Argo," _Zhaan said. _"I will be right down as soon as I treat Aeryn."_

"I'll be here."

**********************

Zhaan mixed the pale yellow Vulkdralgon serum into the brown/grey concoction that she had already started, turning the fetid liquid to a green/brown. She handed it to Aeryn.

"Do I have to drink this?" she asked, clearly disgusted by the smell.

"The odor wouldn't be so offending if you had stayed where I told you to."

"How does going to my quarters affect the smell of this?"

"It had time to set while I was carrying it from my lab to your quarters. Maybe next time, you'll listen to me."

Aeryn scowled and looked into the smokey-green medicine. "It doesn't taste like this, does it?"

"Unfortunately, it does. Drink it, or we can't help Crichton." Quickly she put her hand over her mouth, almost like an attempt to take those last words back.

"Help Crichton?" Aeryn asked, suddenly concerned. "What did he do this time?"

Zhaan saw her bargaining chip. "Drink, or you will be confined to your quarters. I will personally lock the door so you won't wander around the ship."

Aeryn closed her eyes and drank it in one big gulp. She fought with it for a moment, but she won. It stayed down. "Now why would we have to help Crichton?"

"He's in custody. We have to free him."

"What did he do?" Aeryn asked accusingly.

"He did nothing, I assure you. Are you feeling better?"

The medicine hadn't started to take effect yet, and she didn't really feel any better, but she couldn't help John sitting on _Moya _totally bored out of her head. "Yes," she lied. Zhaan narrowed her eyes at her.

"Then let's go," she said against her better judgment. "I will explain on the way down."

**********************

John entered the room and saw six men huddled together with their backs to the entering party facing two large doors at the other end of the room. Violet Eyes cleared his throat and all six men quickly turned around. One pair of green eyes struck John with their brilliance.

"Is this him?" one asked.

"It is. You may proceed with your decision."

They circled around him looking at him from all sides like vultures.

"You claim you are not Sebacean. Why?"

"Are you Hynerian?" John asked.

"No."

"You say you're not Hynerian. Why?"

"Because I am not."

"There you go."

"But we look nothing like Hynerians," another spoke up. "And we certainly don't dress like them."

"Peacekeeper, answer the questions."

"I'm not a Peacekeeper. Why do you hate Peacekeepers so much, anyway?" John asked.

"We have only finished rebuilding after you Peacekeepers decimated our world," he answered, his voice venomous. He obviously was not believing John.

"I. Am. Not. A. Peacekeeper," John insisted again. He was getting more adamant with each claim.

"Clearly he is lying!" one shouted.

"Just look at him!" encouraged another.

The elaborately decorated double doors behind the council opened. The men of the council turned their eyes reverently toward the lavishly dressed woman who stepped forth from the shadows of the room. Her own personal guards were posted on either side of her. As soon as her face showed, the men averted heir eyes, not daring to look upon her beauty.

"Perhaps he speaks the truth," she said. John almost melted at the sound of her melodic voice.

"Empress, look at the alien," Violet Eyes said. It occurred to John that he must be the leader of the council. He was the only one looking at the Empress, and obviously the only one allowed to speak to her.

"He does indeed appear to be Sebacean," she sang, "but looks can be deceiving. The only way to be certain is to submit him to a memory test."

"Memory test?" John gasped. "Oh, no, Lady. I've had people messin' around in my memories before. Trust me, it never turns out good."

"Who said you could talk to the empress, and in such a casual manner?!" a guard demanded. "You will be silent!" He raised his staff to hit Crichton, but the empress stopped him.

"Fool!" she shouted without raising her voice. "You will not touch him!" She nodded at one of her guards, and he stepped forward and grabbed the one of lower rank. "Take him away," she said. "I'll deal with him later." She turned back to John. "I apologize for his behavior."

"'S'all right," he accepted, "I've had worse."

She nodded with a smile. "Lu'pen, take him back to his cell."

"Yes, Empress, right away," Violet Eyes, or Lu'pen, complied.

Back in his cell, John looked through the door slot. He saw pity in the violet eyes that gazed back at him. To Lu'pen's surprise, he had started to feel compassion for this animal that claimed not to be the monster they all took him for. "Foolish creature," Lu'pen said, "I would have faced the Sebacean penalty instead of agreeing to be subjected to a memory test."

**********************

"What are you waiting for, Zhaan? We need to leave," Aeryn said impatiently. Zhaan had her back to the officer. "Zhaan--"

"You can't go down like that," Zhaan said, turning around. Aeryn noted the thick grey and black creams that she was holding.

"What do you mean?" Aeryn asked nervously while backing away ever so slightly.

"They don't like your kind down there, Aeryn," Zhaan said calmly. "That's what got us into this trouble in the first place."

"What are you planning, Delvian?"

"I am going to make you appear to be Nebari."

Aeryn almost choked. "Nebari? But . . . " she searched for an excuse not to let Zhaan do this. "But I have dark hair."

"Then we will make you a male. I will need to add some padding for obvious reasons, but I think this will work." Zhaan took a swipe at Aeryn with a sponge that had some grey on it. Aeryn wiped off the cream as soon as she noticed it on her face. "Be still while I apply this and we might do this successfully. Help me to help John." Uh oh. Guilt trip. "He is in prison having goddess knows what done to him, and you refuse to put on a little disguise so you might be able to help him. All right. So be it. You stay on the ship and I will take Rygel to help."

Aeryn swallowed hard. She looked from the cream to Zhaan and back again. "Then let's get this over with as soon as possible."

**********************

Rygel stared fearfully at the Nebari that was standing in the corridor behind Zhaan. Neither of them had noticed him, and it looked like the Nebari was oblivious to Zhaan. "Zhaan," he alerted in a whisper, not because he was trying not to be seen by the Nebari (it was obvious he knew he was there by now), but because he was scared grotless.

"Rygel?" Zhaan asked, her brow furrowed at his worried expression.

"What is that doing on board?"

Realization dawned on her. He believed Aeryn to be a Nebari. She was going to explain it, but she felt a little bit devious. "Fear not, Rygel," she said. "I have the situation under control. We are going down to the planet to help D'Argo. Behave, or I will not hesitate to release him on you." She indicated the Nebari. Rygel shuddered at the thought.

"Then go already. I don't want that on the ship any longer than necessary."

"Pilot, watch him," she instructed as she walked toward the transports. The Nebari followed, but not before glaring hard at Rygel.

"I hate Nebari," the ex-dominar grumbled as he flew off in his ThroneSled. He was looking for Aeryn (more like looking for where she was than her personally) when he came across a food cube in the floor.

He glanced around to make sure he was alone. Seeing no one, he got out of his ThroneSled and waddled over to the cube. He had barely gotten it into his mouth before he saw another down the corridor a piece. There was a chirp behind him as he started toward it, and he turned around as fast as he felt like going (which was all you could expect from any Hynerian) and saw nothing, so he shrugged and grabbed the second cube when he saw a third.

The pattern continued in this manner until he reached a large group of them in Pilot's den. Rygel chuckled as he descended on them. It was cut short, though, by the sound of the door behind him closing. He looked up and saw that he was surrounded by DRDs.

"Shall _Moya _finish what she started, Your Eminence?" Pilot asked. Rygel's cry for Aeryn echoed through the ship.

**********************

"Look at what you've gotten yourself into this time."

"Go away, Harvey."

Harvey sat down beside John on the floor. "Couldn't you _attempt _to escape instead of waiting for the others to come rescue you?"

"I'm not--"

"You should try now," he coaxed. He ordered John's body to do as he wished.

John obediently stood up, walked to the door, and pounded on it. The door slot slid open, revealing not the sympathetic violet eyes that he had been expecting, but the cold, calculating green ones that he saw in the council.

"What is it, Criminal?" the new man asked icily. It occurred to John that he hadn't spoken in the council, and he was surprised at the chilly voice he had.

"I don't feel well. I was wondering if you had a medical facility that I could," Harvey chose his words carefully, "be taken to."

"You get none of our hospitality."

"Could I ask what happened to Lu'pen?" John repeated the words that Harvey was feeding him. He didn't know why, but he did know that he wouldn't normally do such a thing.

"Not that it is any of your business, Barbarian, but he has been . . . removed. I am in charge of you know." He said that last sentence in a grumble, like he couldn't be bothered with the likes of John.

"Hmm," Harvey said. "It seems your friend is no longer."

"Shut up, Harvey," John snapped. The bright green eyes squinted at him.

"Who have you in there?" he asked.

John went to say, "There's no one in here," angrily, but Harvey changed the tone to almost sound guilty. The green eyes widened and blazed in anger.

"Guard!" he called. "Open this door!" The man entered the cell, walking past John who was by the door and brushed his gaze through the cell. John saw his chance and grabbed it.

He rushed forward and knocked the guard over. He ran down the hallway in a different direction that the one he took before. He aimed for the hallway with more light in it. The clanks of guards running after him made him go faster. He made it to a hallway lined with cells, but not the kind he had been in. These had room for more than one person and instead of a solid door, they were secured with crisscrossing bars. That's when the guards caught up to him and took him by the arms. Then, in compliance to the head guard's orders, he was thrown roughly onto the ground.

"You will pay dearly for this, Sebacean," the guard threatened. He raised his staff and brought it down hard on John's shoulder. John let out an "oof" sound, but refused to give the guard more than that. The guard was clearly annoyed by this.

"You will not," he hit him, "deny," and again, "your," again, "Sebacean," hit, "backgrounds," once more, "any longer!"

Though John was cringing from the pain, his voice was strong. "I have no Sebacean backgrounds to deny!"

The guard gave him a look and beat him more until the green eyed man interfered. "Enough! He doesn't need any of this before the memory test. It will be hard enough on him as it is. Take him. It is time."

As he was being dragged off, he said under his breath, "Good job, Harvey. I thought we were trying to get me _out _of trouble."


	4. Chapter 4

Though John was cringing from the pain, his voice was strong. "I have no Sebacean backgrounds to deny!"

The guard gave him a look and raised his staff again when the green eyed man interfered. "Enough! He doesn't need any of this before the memory test. It will be hard enough on him as it is. Take him. It is time."

As he was being dragged off, he said under his breath, "Good job, Harvey. I thought we were trying to get me _out _of trouble."

**********************

"You sure you don't wanna come?" Chiana asked the Gondilot that she had been talking to.

"And risk getting caught and facing a worse punishment?" he asked with a snort. "I don't think so."

Chiana shrugged. "Too bad," she turned away and added under her breath, "that you don't have the mivonks to try to escape." She worked on the lock and it was open in less than a minute. "Too easy." The door opened a crack and she was about to push it open some more when noises farther down the hall than she could see caused her to pull it shut.

"Sounds like someone escaped from the lower levels," another inmate said.

"What's in the lower levels?"

"Sebaceans. Any they find are taken down there. Then they're usually . . disposed of after a week or two of trying to find out why they come to Gondilea."

_'John looks like a Sebacean,' _Chiana thought, _'and this sort of trouble seems to follow him all over the Uncharted Territories.' _"Is there any way to find out if they are Sebacean or not?"

"We _know _what a Sebacean looks like," the Gondilot said almost rudely.

"But what if they aren't Sebacean?"

"First, they have to convince the council that they aren't Sebacean. Then I guess a memory test would find out the truth or not. Of course then you might consider yourself dead anyway after one of those."

A row of sickening thwaps, like wood hitting flesh, drew her attention back out to the hall. Between each thwap, a man said one word that formed this sentence, "You will not deny your Sebacean backgrounds any longer!" She had a feeling it was him then, but her stomach did a flip when a voice clearly belonging to John Crichton said, "I have no Sebacean backgrounds to deny!"

"You called that one."

"Wish I hadn't," Chiana said, not really paying attention because she was listening at the door.

"You were right," he responded, obviously still impressed. This situation had never occurred before.

"Yeah," she said, turning around. Her pale skin was clearly paler as she said, "You were, too."

The man rushed over to her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I just heard them say they were taking him for a memory test."

"Huh. Well, I doubt we'll see him again."

"Why?"

"The memory test drains the victims so much and the medical engineers don't want to waste supplies on them even though they conceivably could be treated, so they are discarded. They die of malnutrition in the cells. Be glad you don't know that guy."

"I _do _know that guy. He's a friend of mine. A very close friend."

The Gondilot backed away. "You are friends with a Sebacean?" he asked in surprise.

"No. Well, yes, but not that one. He's a human. He just looks like a Sebacean."

"A human?"

She nodded. "And he'd be the only one stupid enough to try to escape."

"May I remind you that you're trying to escape?"

"But John is about as subtle as the stench of a budong." She opened the door again, her motivation to escape momentarily replaced by the motivation to rescue Crichton.

"Don't," she was warned. "After something like that happens, we're lectured to about what we didn't hear. If you leave now, they're going to see you and then you can't go rescue your friend."

She looked longingly into the hall, but realized he was right when she heard the clanks of the guards. The door closed, and she backed away from it. The guard's voice filled all of the cells, but she wasn't listening. It might of well have been in ancient Luxan the way she was interested in it. She needed to get John out of there. And fast.

**********************

D'Argo watched as the transport landed amidst the other ships of people who came to the bazaar. No one noticed; outsiders saw them as fellow shoppers and the Gondilots saw them as fresh meat to sink their teeth into and suck out as much currency as possible. _Moya's _transport was as inconspicuous as anyone could have hoped.

D'Argo went to greet them, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Aeryn's amazing likeness to a Nebari. He dipped his head at a passing shopper and continued on his way.

"That's good," he commented. "How did you get her hair to stand up like that?" Aeryn simply glared at him.

"Where is John?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"In that large building at the other end of the booths," he answered, moving in said direction. Aeryn and Zhaan went along. "The front gate is guarded," D'Argo continued. "I couldn't get past it."

"It?" Zhaan asked.

"It calls itself 'Mulkin.'"

"Mulkin?" Aeryn made sure that's what she heard.

"Do you know the creature, Aeryn?"

"I know the race, not that one in particular. They all call themselves 'Mulkin.' It would be a logical choice to guard a building with Sebaceans inside. They hate us about as much as these Gondilots do." After the clear "Why?" expressions on her shipmates' faces, she elaborated. "The Mulkin homeworld had elements and minerals we could use to easily make more destructive weapons. They would have three times the power and less time and resources to make them. The minerals were deeply imbedded within the rocks of the surface, and the only way to get them out was to pelt the mountains and cliff sides with what we already had. We had no concern for the inferior animals that inhabited the planet. Eventually, we used them as slave labour for their strength. A few escaped, but we thought nothing of it until they started breeding."

"That's what he meant when he said, 'Boom Mulkin home.' I thought he meant his home here."

They reached the building and discreetly moved to a part of the surrounding wall that was out of Mulkin's eyesight. Zhaan examined the situation.

"We will need another way in," she said. "There has to be another way through the wall than the front gate."

Aeryn touched the thick stones that made up the wall. "Zhaan, you said that you got the Vulkdralgon serum from someone here. Would he have anything to eat the way through this stone?" She jumped at the sound of a grunt and then rock crumbling behind her and turned around.

"Unnecessary," D'Argo said. He was standing next to a gaping hole in the wall that wasn't there before. The handle of his Qualta Blade was dirty and faced toward the hole. "I found a weak spot," he shrugged.

"D'Argo and I will go in and look for John," Aeryn instructed. "Zhaan, you stay out here. If we don't come back, take _Moya _and StarBurst the hezmana out of here."

"What about Chiana?" Zhaan asked.

"She _should _be on _Moya,_" D'Argo huffed. Zhaan shook her head. "Then, knowing Chiana, she will be in there." He nodded his head toward the building.

Aeryn sighed. "Then, D'Argo, you and I will split up and look for both Chiana and Crichton. Let's go." Aeryn and D'Argo disappeared through the hole in the wall.

**********************

John was shoved unceremoniously into a room with four locals in orange lab coats busying themselves around a chair. The chair had a nasty-looking headband with two thin metal prongs on the inside, clearly designed to go _in _the head.

"I am so sick of chairs screwing with my memory," John mumbled.

The techs looked up at John stumbling in. "He has been trouble," the man with the green eyes said. "Give him the full treatment." He looked at each tech sternly before a smug look broke out on his face as he looked a final time at John before shutting the door.

The men in orange pushed him into the chair. As they moved the headband into place, he winced at the glean of the sharp metal. "Is this gonna hurt?" he asked. The only response he got was the two techs in front of him glancing at one another before continuing brining the band down.

John felt the pressure of the band, but there was slightly more pressure at his temples. He heard two clicks on either side of his head, one preceding the other. Then the prongs slid into the soft flesh of his temples, and he howled in pain. The world started going black around him. He tried to clear his head, but to no avail. His eyelids were too heavy to hold up anymore, so he let them fall, bathing his world in darkness.

**********************

John found himself in his mind watching his life through the eyes of the John that lived the moments. It was shooting by at an alarming rate. It slowed and stopped when he was about six. He saw that he was playing with the rocket ship that his dad got him as an apology for not being there the previous week. John watched as he hid the ship behind the couch.

"I always wondered where I put that thing," he said, a smile touching his lips from the memory. "Maybe this won't be so bad."

Life sped up again and, as if to spite him, stopped at a funeral. Past John moved toward the casket to look inside. Current John wanted to look away, knowing what he'd see and not wanting to see it again. But he was looking through Past John's eyes, and he couldn't control what was happening and he peered into the casket anyway, right into his mother's face.

Current John yelled for the Gondilots to stop or go to another memory in hopes they would hear him. They either didn't hear or ignored his cries. It wasn't until Past John finished the eulogy that life took off again. He realized that he felt extremely tired while life was moving at this speed, and the more it happened, the more drained he felt.

He knew by now that they had to believe that he wasn't a Peacekeeper, but they still kept going. He felt tired enough to collapse if he could. Finally, they slowed down enough that John could see where he was. He was in his module, already in orbit around Earth. For the second time, he was sucked through a wormhole.

Again, the Peacekeeper ship hit the Farscape 1 module and slammed into the asteroid. The Peacekeeper ship that had Crais' brother in it. He felt the module being brought toward Moya with the docking web. Then life went by again.

He knew he was getting toward the end of this test when he caught a glimpse of a sick Aeryn. Life was still moving very quickly, and soon it was over. The last image was one of the faces of the Gondilots.

The techs moved in and took off the band. The tiredness was still with him after the test had ended. He gulped for air, but still didn't seem to be able to get enough of it. He tried to get out of the chair on his own, but his exhausted muscles wouldn't cooperate. The techs pressed a button on the wall, and soon the man with the green eyes came in.

"What did you find?"

"He is not a Peacekeeper," they said. "Though they look the same on the outside, there are anatomical differences as well as behavioral ones. We found him as a child playing instead of training. Then there was a mourning celebration for his dead mother where he gave a speech. And we found out how he came to be out here since his planet is nowhere close. This man is not a Sebacean, and he isn't here to hurt us. He came to find a medicine to cure a sick . . friend." John noted through the haze that they left out the fact that his friend _was _a Sebacean.

The green eyed man looked at John without the slightest tinge of remorse. "Hmm. I will inform the empress. Take him away." 

The guards came in and helped him back to his cell. Actually, it was more of a drag than a help. He wasn't really able to move. When they got to the cell, they threw him in and he hit the floor. Unable to move because of how weak he felt, he laid there. _'Maybe just some sleep will help,' _he thought, already most of the way out. _'Just some sleep . . . '_

**********************

Finally, their lecture was over and Chiana was able to get out of the cell. She made one last offer to the inmate, but she was met with the same answer.

__

"I'm telling you, girl, I will not risk being caught out there. And I don't think you should either."

So Chiana left the cell on her own and went the way the guards had gone earlier, but soon she came to a fork. She looked down each side. The right one seemed to veer down and get darker while the left one stayed at the same level and brightness, although it wasn't very bright to begin with. She chose the right one, thinking that something as dark sounding as that memory test dren would be kept below the main floor.

After a few microts of walking down the hall, she heard guards walking toward her. She ducked into the nearest room (which just happened to be empty) and waited for them to pass. She peered out the little window in the upper quadrant of the door and saw that the guards were carrying a terribly familiar face.

"John," she whispered when she recognized him, though it was hard to do so because he looked so different. He had dark circles under his eyes, his cheeks were hollow, and he was awfully pale, like he hadn't eaten or slept in days. They had only been here for a few arns, certainly not long enough for something like that to happen. Unless . . . 

"Frelling memory test!" she whispered sharply, understanding what happened. When the guards were gone, she crept out of the room and followed stealthily after them.

They dragged John back to the fork and through the hall that Chiana had neglected to go into. They marched down that hallway a piece and tossed him carelessly into a cell. Chiana had to hide behind a conveniently placed column attached to the wall as they turned briskly and walked back the other way.

When she was sure they were gone, she rushed to the cell. They hadn't bothered to lock it, and when she opened the door, she saw why.

John was lying on the floor. From his position, she guess that he hadn't attempted to move since they threw him in there. She ran to his side.

"John? Can you hear me?" John stirred slightly, but made no other movement. She realized he was asleep. "John, wake up. We have to get back. _Moya, _remember? Wake up, Crichton!"

John lifted his head and looked into Chiana's eyes. His were red. "Oh, hey, Pip," he said, just barely loud enough to here. "You here to save me?"

"What did they do to you, John?" she asked, her voice breaking at his appearance. Amidst the sunken cheeks and the dark circles, there were some bruises and abrasions that looked like he had been beaten. Most of them were on his body, but one or two were on his face. And, on his temples, there were two small puncture wounds and from the looks of them, they were getting infected. "Unsanitary drenhole," she mumbled, eyeing the two red inflamed wounds.

His face was contorted into a look of pain and exhaustion. "Let's just say that it's tough being a Sebacean look-alike," he joked breathlessly, obviously drained. Chiana smiled slightly.

"At least I know you still have your odd sense of humour. C'mon. We've got to get you out of here. Can you walk?"

"I think I can . . . lumber. Slowly. While resting every few minutes."

"That will have to do. Let's get you up." She grabbed his arm to help him up and he hissed in pain. She quickly withdrew her hand.

"Don't worry about it, Pip," he said in a groan. "I'll be in a lot more than that while I move. Just help me up."

Chiana complied, carrying more of John's weight than he was. Leaning on her clearly hurt his abused side, but he did it anyway knowing that it was the only way they could have even a slim chance to escape.

"If I'm too much of an encumbrance to you," John said as they started moving, "leave me behind."

"If I had any intention of leaving you, I wouldn't have wasted my time to come get you in the first place," Chiana responded almost harshly.

They moved, slowly, down the hallway, but Chiana was determined to show John that he didn't put her in danger. They reached the fork and were about to go down the corridor to get out when they heard more guards coming their way. They had to go back down the right hall and let the guards pass. Chiana caught a glimpse of a beautiful, and clearly rich, woman walking down towards John's cell. She didn't wait to see what was going to happen. She just carried John down the dimly lit hall.

They were moving down the hall faster than they had been going before, though still not fast at all. John was sweating from the mere strain it was putting on him.

"What is that?" John asked suddenly.

"What?"

"That, at the end there. Someone's moving this way."

Chiana's blood went cold. "We've been found."


	5. Chapter 5 (the end :*( )

"What?"

"That, at the end there. Someone's moving this way."

Chiana's blood went cold. "We've been found."

* * *

D'Argo and Aeryn split on the ground level of the building. She had gone up and he had gone down. He now made his way silently (or as silent as a Luxan can be) through the dimly lit corridors. He was still moving down, and it was getting even darker.

He turned the corner at the end of the hall and came upon another that had some small rooms in it, but one in particular caught his attention. The door to that room was unlike all the others. It was thick metal and larger in height. It opened and four Gondilots in orange coats came from that room and entered a room on the other side. The coast looked clear to D'Argo, so he started forward.

He had just taken about four steps when he saw movement at the end of the hall. He could just make out two shapes moving in his direction. One seemed to be supporting the other, who could hardly stand, let alone run as they were trying to do. He squinted, trying to see them clearly, but it was too dark.

He didn't feel that it was a threat; they certainly didn't move like they could be anyone he'd have a problem with. Figuring that they couldn't apprehend him even if they tried, he started forward. They stopped. They were watching him. The one that was bearing the weight of the other one tried to back up causing the injured one to cry out.

_'I know that yelp,' _D'Argo thought. He stepped a little closer. The unhurt one took a protective stance (as well as they could while holding up the other one) between him and D'Argo. _'And that silhouette looks familiar, too.'_

"John?" D'Argo asked. The standing one relaxed a little. Now D'Argo could see that she was definitely a female, and he had no doubt as to which one. "Chiana, it's D'Argo," he said as loud as he dared what with the four men dressed in orange right in the other room. He heard whispering between her and who was obviously John. John nodded his head and then-- _'That nod looked a little too weak.' _Fine. John shook his head a little too weakly and then Chiana helped him move forward to D'Argo. D'Argo went to meet them.

When he got there, he saw the pain etched in John's face and the cold sweat he had broken into. His breathing was awfully laboured, and he was sure John wasn't going to stay conscious much longer.

"He doesn't need to be walking," he hissed, more at whoever did this to John than at Chiana, but she didn't see it that way.

"I-I'm sorry, D'Argo. I couldn't carry--"

"It's okay, Chiana," he rectified his mistake quickly. "I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at the toeskas who did this to John." He was practically steaming in anger.

D'Argo picked up John who whimpered. He had to bite his tongue to keep from screaming as D'Argo hit one of the more painful bruises causing searing pain to shoot through his body, but he was aware that there were people in this area and he had to be as quiet as possible. Tears streamed down his face at the pain, and he almost lost consciousness because of it, but he refused to scream.

"Now we have to go find Aeryn," D'Argo informed Chiana as they started running. John was too far gone in the pain that racked his body to hear what he was saying.

"Aeryn's down here? Isn't she sick? And don't you know that since she's a Sebacean--"

"I presume that she's better since Zhaan gave her the medication and she came down here. As for the Sebacean thing, we've got that covered."

"Where is Aeryn?"

"I'll find her. Aeryn?" he said through the comms. "Are you there, Aeryn?"

_"I'm here, D'Argo," _answered her stuffy voice.

"I've got them. Go back to the ground level and wait for us to get there."

_"Understood."_

Chiana ran faster. "Then let's get the hezmana out of here."

* * *

Aeryn was on her way down the same way she came up. Her stomach suddenly turned on her and she tossed the proverbial cookies right there in the hallway. "Frelling Zhaan and her frelling medicine," she mumbled to herself, grumpy beyond words. "She should frelling make something that would frelling do something besides frelling tasting bad and not frelling making me feel any frelling better." Aeryn absentmindedly scratched lower back and continued down the hall.

Next to her, a door opened and three men in purple suits stepped out and stopped when they saw her.

"What are you doing in this section, Nebari?" one of them asked.

"I'm just looking around. Am I not allowed to be here?"

"No, you aren't."

"Then will you show me the way out?"

"I'm sorry, people don't just wander into restricted areas especially when they are clearly marked. We are going to have to take you with us."

"No."

"No? And just why not?"

"Because I don't have time for this." With that, she swiftly moved forward with her pulse pistol in hand. She hit the nearest one with the butt of it and gave another a pantac jab. The last one held a ready stance, but she kicked his legs out from under him and he hit his head on the wall. She nodded curtly at the three unconscious guards.

"Even feeling like dren, I've still got it." She stopped and contemplated what she said for a split second. "I've been around John for too long," she concluded.

Finally, she got to the place that she had come in. To her left, she saw D'Argo and company heading toward the opening, but she didn't pay much attention. She went through, and then through the surrounding wall to meet up with Zhaan.

"Are you itching?" Zhaan asked after a few microts.

"What?"

"You've been scratching your back ever since you came out of that place."

"I haven't noticed."

D'Argo stepped through the hole followed by Chiana. Aeryn didn't notice that he was carrying John before. She gaped openly at his condition.

"Ooh," D'Argo groaned, seeing John in full light. "I didn't noticed the extent of his injuries in that dark place." His eyes turned cold. "They will pay."

"N-No, D'Argo," John said voicelessly. "J . . . Just gotta get b-back to _Moya _is all." He moved his head slightly. The strain of that simple movement was evident in the lines that creased his brow. "T-Tired."

"Why is he so tired?" Zhaan asked, a concerned look on her blue features.

"They gave him something called a memory test," Chiana answered. "It sucks the life right out of you. But not all of it is from the memory test," she said as something flitted across her face.

John caught sight of Aeryn and reached an arm out to her. "Oh, h-hey, baby. Y-You look good." Aeryn reached for it, but before she could grab it, it fell limp toward the ground.

"John?!" she asked urgently. Zhaan rushed to him.

"He's just asleep," she said with relief. "But it does look like some of the abrasions are infected. We must get him home. I can treat him there."

D'Argo nodded and led the way back to the transport. They all circled around John trying to block people's view of him. One Gondilot saw him, however, and let out a piercing scream.

"Sebacean! There! With the two Nebari!"

A mother of some race grabbed her six children by their upper hands and scurried away as fast as her three legs could carry her.

"Here we go again," D'Argo grumbled. There was more yelling and screaming before the guards actually showed up behind them.

"Stay there!" they ordered. John stirred at the commotion, but still did not wake up.

D'Argo was in a full run now, and the others were having trouble keeping up with him especially Aeryn. At one point, she had to stop to vomit. The bouncing of her stomach was not good with this Styrinthian Flu deal. Zhaan waited with her, holding back her hair. She knew letting Aeryn go down there was a bad idea.

Finally, they reached the transport. Zhaan, Chiana, and Aeryn moved quickly to the controls while D'Argo stabilized John so he wouldn't roll around. They had just lifted off when they felt a small weight on the back.

"Come out now!" the voice said. It sounded close. Very close.

"Are they hanging on to the back of the transport?" Chiana asked.

"If they are, they'll get off soon," Aeryn said, starting to fly away. The weight on the back dropped off before too long, and they were on the way back to _Moya._

* * *

When they got back to _Moya_, there was the feeling of a StarBurst, and then Zhaan told D'Argo to bring Crichton into her lab and she ushered Aeryn in herself. On the bed, there was something shaking under the blanket. To give D'Argo a place to put John, Aeryn swept up the corners of the blanket, encasing the quivering lump. D'Argo put John down as a gasp was heard from inside the blanket.

"What the yotz it going on?!" Rygel's angry voice shouted, although it was muffled through the metallic-coloured cloth. "I demand you put me down this instant! Obey your dominar!"

Aeryn let go of one side of the blanket, causing the Hynerian to tumble onto the floor. "As you wish, your lowness," she said sarcastically. She then put the blanket over John who had started trembling ever so slightly. Gently she caressed his face, being careful not to touch any bruised or hurt areas, though it was hard to dodge them. She began trembling, too, but it wasn't for the same reason as John. She was shaking with rage. Zhaan, noticing they were about to have a very angry, vengeful, destructive, and sick Sebacean on their hands, brought the attention back to Rygel.

"What are you doing, Rygel?"

"I was hiding from the DRDs," he said, still angry at being tossed on the floor. "They attacked me."

_"He thinks he was hiding," _Pilot corrected. _"_Moya _merely became bored with him and the DRDs went back to their regular maintenance duties."_

"Yotz," Ryg said under his breath. He waddled out of the room in search of his ThroneSled.

"Zhaan," D'Argo said, once again bringing the attention back to John, "he started running a fever in the transport, and his perspiration is cold. The infections are also getting worse."

She looked at the angry red welts on his head, arms, and back. Indeed, they were larger and as Zhaan felt them, she realized they were hotter. Also, they were darker than they had been before, the red almost purple in places, but that could be because of bruises starting to show around the wounds.

"Antibiotics," she declared, moving to her table. Without looking up, she said to D'Argo, "You can go now." Aeryn started to go with him, and almost like Zhaan had eyes in the back of her head, she said, "Not you, Aeryn."

"Zhaan," Aeryn started to protest her need to be there, "it is not necessary f--"

"Sit," she commanded in a no-nonsense tone. Zhaan turned, holding a vial. She put the contents into a syringe and injected them into Crichton. "That should be strong enough to knock those infections out if he takes a smaller dose for a little over a week. Now, Aeryn," she turned stern, "why did you go down to the planet when you knew you weren't well?"

Aeryn scratched. "The thought of me sitting up here with Rygel either being bored or annoyed out of my mind while you were down there rescuing Crichton didn't sit well with me."

"Obviously," Zhaan said. "I had to hold your hair back one of those times that the thought didn't sit well with you. How many times did you vomit, Aeryn?"

" . . . . . Four," she answered sheepishly all the while continuing to scratch.

"Turn around."

"What?"

"Aeryn . . . "

"Fine." Aeryn complied to Zhaan's wishes.

Zhaan lifted up the back of her shirt and looked at the skin. "Hmm," she said curiously. "Are you experiencing the itching anywhere else?"

"On my arms and my neck, but I won't scratch there with this goop on me."

"Then take off this cream and get back here," she ordered when Aeryn turned around again.

"What is it?"

"I can't be sure until I see a bigger effected area, possibly in one of the other places you mentioned."

As Aeryn walked out, Chiana walked in. "How is he?" she asked.

"I've given him a big dose of antibiotics, so the infections should dissipate soon. Other than that, he needs some time to get his energy back and his cuts to close up and the bruises to heal."

"What about . . . " she drifted off and let her gesture do the talking, which was her hands pointing to her head.

"I can't be sure, Chiana," Zhaan said. "He's been fine from the other times his mind has been raped, but . . . "

"But what if this is the mind frell that he doesn't recover from?" Chiana finished Zhaan's statement.

"The human is strong," Rygel said from the hallway. Zhaan and Chiana looked in surprise at the Hynerian's compliment. "He will make it through. I have faith in him. He knows we need him, and he wouldn't let us down." He started to fly away, but stopped. Almost as a second thought, he added, "Don't tell him I said that." Then he disappeared around a corner.

"Well, that was . . . "

"Interesting."

"Zhaan!" Aeryn said sharply when she came back into the room. "Look at what your frelling make up did to me!" She held out her arms. There was a prominent rash on them as well as on her neck and upper chest.

"There is some affected area on your back. There was no cream there because it was not exposed skin." When she finished looking at the rash, she said, "I think it's actually from the medicine I gave you for the Styrinthian Flu."

Aeryn dropped her hands to her side. "This is natural, right? Soon it will start making me feel better."

"I'm afraid not." A look of grief came over her face as she looked at John. "All that trouble to put you into a worse condition than you were already. It didn't need to happen."

"Don't worry 'bout it, Blue," John said quietly as he regained consciousness. "If it didn't need to happen, it wouldn't've happened," he added, trying to reassure her.

"Of course, John," she said as she stepped out of the room. She grabbed Chiana on her way out to give Aeryn and Crichton some time alone.

"How ya doin'?" John asked her with one eye barely open. Aeryn sat on the bed beside him.

"I've been better," she said. "Are you feeling any better than when we were on the planet?"

"A little. I think even getting out of that hostile environment was enough."

"I'm so sorry, John," Aeryn said after a pause, her voice breaking.

"Wha' for?"

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have gotten sick--"

"You can't control that." John's voice, though quiet, was stern when he said this. "It's not your fault at all. Don't blame yourself. If you want to blame anyone, blame me. I'm the one that insisted I go down there."

"Alright."

"Wh-What?"

"Alright, I blame you." A bright smile lit up her face. "And don't think I will forgive you for this, either." She laid down beside him, aiming her body away from any sore spots, and put her arm delicately on unhurt parts of his chest. She felt them both drifting back into sleep. "Thank you," she mumbled as she felt sleep claim her.

End.

Now I'm bored.


End file.
